Great to see this Lohengrin
in an excellent transfer (Obert-Thorn) at bargain basement price.
Informed notes by Malcolm Walker and synopsis comprise the accompanying
documentation – maybe one day Naxos will
be enough of a super-power to include libretto and translation
too?

Keilberth’s handling of the score is impressive because
he treats this as mature Wagner. Parts of the score point forward
across the years; parts of Act 1 do not, however, and Keilberth
plays these for all they are worth. Interesting to revisit this
Keilberth so soon after reviewing the recent NaganoParsifal DVD (link
to review), if only to rediscover the musical links between
the two works. It is the more ‘mystic’ moments that inspire
the Wagner of Lohengrin – most explicitly the final stages of Act 3 - of course
Lohengrin is son of Parsifal in legend - and they seem to inspire
Keilberth too. Right at the other end of the drama (i.e. the
very beginning), Keilberth sculpts an Act 1 Prelude that glows
and contains fascinating orchestrational shifts. The whole prelude
sounds as if it emerges into the light, unhurriedly and totally
naturally. The risk here is that it will overshadow the ensuing
events on-stage (to an extent it does) – when the ‘curtain’
rises we are musically clearly still in the latter stages of
early period Wagner.

Keilberth marshals his forces resolutely though. The
chorus is magnificent here as elsewhere; no surprise as the
Chorus Master was the great Wilhelm Pitz. The fact that the
Herald is excellent - huge-of-voice baritone Hans Braun - gives
an indication as to the quality of casting. The King is Josef
Greindl, no less, another big voice but imbued also with real
warmth. Actually it is interesting that the three male voices
in these early stages seem to vie for the most impressive vocal
entrance, for Hermann Uhde’s Friedrich is no shrinking violet
when it comes to announcing his presence, either; although he
does display, at least initially, some small strain at the top
of his range. Uhde is the only one of the three to disappoint
subsequently though. He can gabble his words rather: towards
the end of CD 1 track 3.

Elsa von Brabant is the American soprano Eleanor Steber
(1914-1990), a Met artist. This Lohengrin
may be her most famous recording. It deserves to be. Her pure
tone is marvellous to hear, but whereas many sopranos feed off
this and just leave it there, Steber’s Elsa becomes a believable
character. When she sings ‘Mein armer Bruder!’ (before ‘Einsam
in trüben Tagen’), one believes her emotions without question.
The expression at ‘Einsam’ itself speaks with an enviable directness;
not to mention superb diction. Keilberth gives her all the time
in the world while her tone suits this music that deals with
‘her’ knight. This is Elsa’s ‘call’, her prayer. That Lohengrin
appears in response to this prayer lies the crux of the ensuing
events. He is borne of faith and requires faith in return –
that Elsa never ask his name.

Steber’s Elsa has vocal power, too; try the build-up
to ‘Ein Wunder’ in CD1 track 6 or the later stages of Act 2,
CD 2 track 9. She has a backbone - unlike some Elsas - and in
being so endowed becomes human, believable and her ‘weaknesses’
become understandable.

Wolfgang Windgassen (1914-1974) is the Lohengrin. According
to Malcolm Walker’s notes, his first venture into Heldentenor
territory was Siegmund in 1950-51 – so this comes only a couple
of years thereafter. His entrance is impressive, too (‘Nun sei
bedankt, mein lieber Schwann!’). Full, strong and lyrical, this
is a voice that can really fly. Windgassen was also intelligent
enough to pace himself, a must in this work more than most;
two ‘big’ numbers, ‘In fernem Land’ and ‘Mein lieber Schwann’
come right at the end.

Keilberth’s shading of the opening of Act 2 is very
dark indeed, and so it is good that the Ortrud and the Telramund
do not disappoint. Uhde has real power and the two singers work
superbly together, but it is Astrid Varnay that is the very
incarnation of Ortrud’s evil. Her every utterance drips with
the conniving and the twisted. She lightens her voice as she
calls Elsa, presumably to make herself more appealing; the scene
between the two women is gripping because the casting is so
spot on. Uhde is not as consistent as his Ortrud, though. His
portrayal of his character is not as strong as Varnay’s, but
if one keeps that sort of company …

The second half of Act Two reacquaints us with the
excellence of the chorus. The Herald here seems to have added
reverb. The famous Act 3 features a perfectly soft and balanced
chorus (‘treulich geführt’) and Keilberth being ultra-affectionate
with his woodwind solos. Here it is though that Lohengrin and
Elsa that get their chance to shine and so they do. Windgassen’s
affinity with lyric outpouring is everywhere evident. Later,
‘Im fernem Land’ has something of the special about it without
quite transporting the listener. On the credit side, the words
‘Vom Gral’ are not too ‘Heldentenorisch’ but there is the niggling
doubt that Windgassen milks ‘Mein lieber Schwann!’ too much.

This is of course not the only incarnation
of this performance; Golden Melodram and Teldec have also issued
it. Yet for this price and with this quality of transfer, the
Naxos stands alone.

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